Celebrations

Mikayla is home this weekend.  We cleared the calendar for three days and spent the first one visiting, playing games (of which, of course, she whipped us), treasure hunting, cooking, cleaning a TINY bit (it's just got to be done=) and watching a movie. This morning Mikayla and I are up alone in this quiet house, with the sunlight streaming in through the picture window. She's looking at artwork of Christ on her computer and I am writing you. I look forward to a more contemplative day together. What a joy to have our children around us!  It has been sweet.

Last weekend our stake had a Sadie Hawkins dance. I'm not sure exactly what auxiliary hosts it, but it has become a tradition to ensure that women get at least one Valentines date a year. =) When you formally ask your spouse to a dance he can't say no. Our friends invited us to join a group of couples for a potluck dinner and game night before the dance. What fun! We laughed and laughed, which was refreshingly enjoyable; it was fun to feel so youthful. Most of the couples dropped out of the loop when we headed for the dance, but there were a few of us who were glutton's for punishment and were swayed by the advertisement for an old time live band. I was hoping for "the swinging 50's" but it was more like "the rocking 70's". When the music got so loud we couldn't visit normally and they started a circle dance where you had to continually change partners and they started singing lyrics that I couldn't hear but which the YW president said were inappropriate, we decided it was time to go. It was fun while the slow songs lasted and good to see so many people that we loved, but unfortunately there will always be differences of standards and opinions when it comes to music. We did see some really fun and talented dancing and Fred and I were wishing we could ever retain anything from our social dance college days. Our former home teacher and his wife usually give us mini lessons, each year during the dance, but the music just wasn't that compelling and even they weren't dancing that much. Maybe, one day Fred and I can take dance lessons again, but Fred says he just doesn't feel it and I can't retain in as little as we do it, so I don't know if that will ever be a success.=)

Valentines Day was sublime. It has always been such a cheery holiday, but kudos to Fred for being ultra sincere and taking the day off from work to spend almost every minute together. It seems like he had a barrage of phone calls from teachers and students which he had to take since he wasn't in the office, but every time it got a little long, I'd hear him tell them that he had taken the day off to spend with his wife, so he'd talk to them tomorrow. Much of our day was spent in doing errands, helping at class parties and taxiing kids to choir, but he did take me out for a nice, quiet lunch at a little Greek restaurant and we even got some good quality time on a home date when the children had been put to bed. His time was all I needed and the best gift of all, but he couldn't help himself and bought me flowers and chocolates as well. It was nice and relaxing and non-stressful, which was different than most holidays where I try to do too much. With him there I just didn't feel the need.. Taking a day off from work, piled his responsibilities twice as high the next day, so the gift of quality time was a selfless sacrifice and so thoughtful. Of course I made a traditional Bloomquist Valentines Breakfast but the table never got quite as pretty as usual as it was a school day and we were eating in hurried shifts, but it started the day out right for my children anyway.

We have been asked to go out on Tuesdays or Thursdays as ward missionaries and to be strictly observant of not staying at anyone's home longer than 30 minutes, but we started at at sisters house who is single and mostly retired and quickly found the task impossible--at least tactfully. We were there for two hours!-- and still had to carefully extricate ourselves. It is amazing how much you can find out about someone when they do all of the talking, for that amount of time--without pausing. It was a pleasant visit for us and she seemed to really enjoy our being there. She did eventually tell me she used to think I was "stuck up". =) That's one of those statements that catch you off guard. She's not the first person who has told me that after getting  comfortable with me.  Chris Sparks from our farm ward said he used to think I was a "snob". They are both extremely extroverted people so I'm not sure if it is just that our personalities are so different or they are the only ones bold enough to state their opinions on the subject. Either way--not something you ever really want to hear. I'm just grateful in both cases that that statement came out in past  instead of  present tense as that would have been awfully awkward. Funny thing....I love both of those people!

Tomorrow is President's day so we'll get to just "hang" for one more day together before Mikayla heads back up in the late afternoon. Jordan's influence is here everywhere with us as well. It's an incredible thing to always feel so close no matter how many miles are between us.

Quote of the week:
"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness." -- George Sand

Dressed For Sadie Hawkins

Valentines Breakfast

Meaningful Gifts